Such a windshield wiper is known from the German patent publication No. 32 08 749 (Valeo Systemes d'Essuyage S. A.). With a windshield wiper of this type the wiping element is formed by a wiping blade made of an elastic material, such as rubber, said wiping blade being reinforced by two metal backing strips respectively inserted in two longitudinally extending recesses in said wiping blade. The frame of the known windshield wiper has several claws retaining the wiping blade and the two backing strips inserted therein in such a way, that a claw located at one end of the wiping blade locally fixates said blade, whereas the other claws allow a movement of the wiping blade in its longitudinal direction. Accordingly said wiping blade is permitted to follow any curvature changes of the windshield on which it lies. The laterally extending means of the known backing strip contain outwardly bent lips on the interior as well as on the exterior longitudinal edge of each backing strip. These lips serve to retain the backing strip in its position.
A disadvantage of a windshield wiper according to the German patent publication referred to above is that, due to the complex construction of the backing strips used therein, it is difficult to manufacture and therefore rather expensive. As the outwardly bent lips on the interior longitudinal edge of each backing strip--due to their sharpness--deeply penetrate into the elastic material of the wiping blade, fractures therein occur during assembly and during any longitudinal movement mentioned earlier of the wiping blade.
It is an object of the invention to obviate these disadvantages, in the sense that at minimum costs--without using complex machinery--simple backing strips are proposed being easier to manufacture and having excellent retaining properties. It is noted that the present invention particularly relates to windshield wipers for motor cars, but is not restricted thereto; it refers also to rail coaches and all other (fast) vehicles. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the present invention also bears on a windshield wiper having an oscillating arm and a frame constructed as one part.